Mail-delivering device.



UNHED i STAWENT oarrcnff- FREDERICK E. KAMPMEYER, SR., AND WILLIAM F. ILEISHER, F PITTSBURG, PENNSYL- l VANIA, ASSIGXORS OF ONE-EIGHTH TO CHARLES KMPMIYER, SR., OF PITTSBURG, PENN-l SYLVANIA, AND SEVEN-EIGIITHS TO SAID FREDERICK E. KAMPMEYER, SR. l

MAIL-DELIVERING DEVICE.

T o all whom it may conce-m.'

Be it known that we, FREDERICK E. KAMP- MEYER, Sr., and IYILLIAM F. FLEISHER, cit-izens of the L'nited States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the count 1 of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, llave invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Delivering Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accom )anying drawing.

This invention relates to a mail delivering device, particularly designed for railway cars.

' The primary object of our invention is, to provide novel means within a car for quickly and safely discharging mail.

Another object of this invention is to provide a nove! trough or catching structure into which the mail can be precipitated by our delivering device.

To this end, we )rovide a car with a sim )le and inexpensive tilting latform, and employ a latch for normally ho ding the platform in a horizontal position, while the same is being loaded with mail bags or ouches. In connection with the tilting p atform, we use a trough or catching structure, which is located in close proximity to the track over which the mail ear travels. This trough or catching structure is provided with projecting pins adapted to be impinged by the latch o the tilting platform to precipitate the mail upon the platform into the trough at a predetermined time.

By the novel construction of our device we revent injury to mail bags and insure a deivery at a predetermined time.

The detail construction entering into our invention will be presently described and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is an elevation of our device as applied to a mail car, illustrating the tilting platform thereof in a horizontal locked position, Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the platform as tilted, Fig. 3 is a plan of our device, the car and receiving trough being partly vbroken away, and Fig. 4 is a diagrarmnatic view illustrating the device in front elevation.

To put our invention into practice, -we rovide a car 1 with two side frames 2, tiese Specification of Lettere Patent. Application led December 13, 1907. Serial'No. 406,348.

ratened Aug. a, 1908.

nioned between the sidefrarnes 2 -is a tilting platform 5, said platform being covered byla metallic plate 6, constituting a weight upon the outer edge of the platform, which together with the weight of mail bags placed thereon is sufficient to quickly tilt the platform.

To normally maintain the platform in a horizontalA position, we provide the under f ace thereof adjacent to the inner edge with a Jlle-ruined latch, the shorter arm 7 thereof engaging under a keeper 8 mounted upon a block 9 arranged between the side frames 2.

The long arml() of the latch extends to the door-way 3 and is bent downwardly to provide a projection 11, the object of which will presently appear.

At the outer side of the track 12 upon which the car 1 travels, we construct an oblong trough or catching structure, this trough comprising incline-d end walls 13 connected by an arched outer wall 14, and an inner wall 15, the latter carr ing a chute 16. These walls are constructe between posts 17, the inner posts being provided with pins or projections 1S adapted to contact with the projection 11 of the fulcrumed latch.

Assuming that mail has been laced upon the tilting platform 5 to beide ivered lnto the trough or Ycatching structure, the fulcrumed latch of the tilting platform will be released immediately upon the projection 11 striking the pin 18 of the trough or catching structure. vhen the latch swings clear of the keeper 8, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the weighted outer edge vof the platform causes said platform to tilt automatically bygravity, as illustrated in Fig.

2, precipitating the mail bags carried thereby to the chute 16, and from there into the trough or structure. From this structure the mail bags are easil f removed by virtue of the arched outer wall 14.

To insure a free movement of the tilting platform, we cut away the floor 4 of the car, as at 19.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it will be a parent that our device can be easily app 'ed to the door-way of the car and that mail can be handled from both ends thereof. The device as carried' by a car can be conside frames being'secured in the door-way 3 g structed of light and durable metal, while of the car upon the floor 4 thereof. Truni the trough or catching structure can be made trough for contacting uith said late of Wood, metalor similar material. Owing to the fact that the tilting platform is released immediately at one end of the trough or structure, it ill not be necessary for the trough or structure to be of a great length, as the mail bags carried by the tilting platform will be immediately deposited in the trough. Y

'e do not care to confine ourselves to the type of ear in connection with which the de'- vice is used, and reserve the right to make such structural changes as are permissible by the appended claims.

Having now dcscbedour invent-ion what we claim as new, ist- 1. In a mail delivering device, the combination with a car, of side frames fitting in the door-way thereof, a metal covered platform trunnioned between said frames, a fulcrumed latch carried by said platform, a keeper mounted in said car for engaging one end of said latch, the opposite end of said latch projecting from said car, a trough located adjacent to the path traveled by said car, said trough having an arched wall and a chute, and a projecting pin carried by said i and releasing said tilting platform, substantially as described.

2. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, agravit-y-tilting support, a latch carried by the support, a keeper engaged by said latch, said latch and keeper normally holding the support against tilting movement, and means exterior of the car in which the suport is arranged for'engagement with the atch to disengage same from the keeper to permit tilting movement of the support.

3. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus,

supports arranged vwithin a car, a pouch support trunmoned 1n said supports to tilt by gravity towards the door of the car, and mea-ns for normalliv securing the pouch support against tilting movement.

4. ln a mail pouch delivering apparatus, a

)ouch support arrangedwithin a car to tilt y gravity automatically to discharge a mail ouch therefrom, a fulcrumed-latch carried liy the support having one end thereof ex.- tending out-side the car, a keeper arranged withinthe car in position t0 be'engaged by the other end of said latch whereby the support is normally held in a horizontal )osition and against tilting movement, an means for engagement with the extending end of said latch for disengaging the other endthereof from the kee )er to permit tilting movement of the ouclr support.

In testimony w iereof we allix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

MAX H. SRoLovrrz, i C. A. ,REUzrEnaU-SEN. 

